


Who Shall Wear the Starry Crown

by ch_errywrites



Series: Lightwood Pack [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alpha Alec Lightwood, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Confident Alec Lightwood, Cute Magnus Bane, Did I just make a new tag? Is Werefox Magnus a thing?, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Hurt Magnus Bane, Leader Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Omega Magnus Bane, Pack Dynamics, Pre-Relationship, Protective Alec Lightwood, References to Teen Wolf (TV), Slow Burn, Werefox Magnus Bane, it should be a thing, let's make it a thing, werewolf alec lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-07-21 07:56:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19998517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ch_errywrites/pseuds/ch_errywrites
Summary: The five times Alec crosses paths with a fox named Magnus, and manages to convince himself he's only just a fox and the one time he learns that Magnus is not JUST a fox.





	Who Shall Wear the Starry Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> Guess who's back!
> 
> I am so so excited to publish this story, I've been working on it for quite awhile now and it's something that I'm super proud of.
> 
> I actually began writing this story after I spent about a week binge watching Teen Wolf and Shadowhunters back to back, and decided that I wanted a cool little spin off of the two worlds.
> 
> This isnt exactly a Teen Wolf spin off because the ABO Dynamics definitely do not work the same way as they do in Teen Wolf and definitely not the same as Shadowhunters either. I'm kinda taking from both worlds honestly, but a lot of it is made up and took a lot of pre-planning on my part.
> 
> This is going to be a series!
> 
> I'm super duper excited to write the next part, but honestly I'm kinda terrified that none of y'all will like this one, lol. The next part will delve into the Pack Dynamics a bit more and will go more into detail of their surrounding politics. And of course more Malec fluff :')
> 
> This part is more just a bunch of fluffy fluff. The first few paragraphs explain some of the dynamics and this story consists of a lot of explanations for certain things but it's generally just a bunch of fluff.
> 
> Also, side note Dr. Lewis is not related to Simon ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I really really do hope you guys like this, and please feel free to ask questions, leave ideas and of course, some kudos.
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the support.
> 
> This fics tag on Twitter will be #TLPfic if you'd like to discuss on there! My Twitter is babyboymagnus.
> 
> Enjoy!

The first time Alec meets Magnus, he's in his fox form.

Of course, at the time Alec didn't know that Magnus was a were like he was, Alec just thought he was a regular old fox.

Running through the forest was one of Alec's favorite pastimes. It was a great stress reliever and a good way to get away from his ever prying siblings. Growing up, running on the night of the full moon with his pack was something he loved the most. Loved to play around with his siblings and his aunt's and uncles. Loved to chase wild creatures through the land. Now, however, he just loved doing it when he was bored. Which was more often than not.

On this day, his wolf had been restless practically begging him to go running and, as always, Alec had complied never opposed to a good work out.

Turning, mostly as a child, used to be one of the hardest things Alec's ever done. The full shift wasn't easily acquired, only a few wolves here and there could do it and his mother had spent weeks upon weeks teaching him and his sister. The first time was the worst, listening to his own bones crack and crunch under his screams was something worth gagging over. But the first time he ran on four legs had been, well, magical.

Now shifting was as easy as breathing. All he had to do was  _ think _ about it.

Alec had only seen pictures of his wolf but it was huge according to Izzy and his adopted brother, Jace. His fur was dark brown with black highlights similar to his hair and one white socks on his right back paw. To everyone's surprise though, his eyes had always shined red.

It was rare to have a born alpha in the pack, most gained the title through one of three ways. First, there was the family's bloodline. After the alpha of a pack passed away the status would be passed down to the alphas second in command or whoever the alpha trusted most before death. Second was a beta or lone wolf, also rarely known as an omega, killing an alpha which unlawfully granted themselves the leader of the pack. Killing an alpha to gain their power is illegal, it's mainly done by those seeking power and control. The other way was to be born an alpha. Which was rare, special even.

_ Special,  _ Alec thought.  _ Who knew. _

New York didn't have a lot of packs but with his mother leading, theirs was quickly growing. A few years ago their pack had just consisted of the Lightwoods. But after his father challenged his mother, and was exiled in the process, things began to change.

Not too long after his mother, Maryse, met Luke Graymark. They fell in love and then soon the pack had extended as Luke took his mother's last name. His daughter and son, Clary and Simon, came with him.

Alec remembers vividly how weird it was to have a  _ vampire  _ in the pack for awhile. But having Jace, a werecoyote, in the pack already helped with the transition and getting used to the new scent of pack.

Alec had known about a problem with hunters recently. The hunters in New York seemed to have some sort of agenda against the Lightwood pack. Rumors had it that an old alpha by the name of Valentine was siding with them, practically teaching them how to successfully hunt packs, all because of his daughter, claiming she'd been mauled and killed by a pack of wolves. Most hunters were friendly with wolves, some even considered part of the pack, but this group, The Circle, was vicious.

It should have been no surprise that bear traps had been set up around their Preserve.

Maybe part of the surprise came from the high pitched crying coming from a few yards away from where he was running. Nobody was out hunting and it was a cry Alec didn't recognize. His ears swiveled to locate the direction of the sound before he was running to the source. The cries didn't grow in volume so he knew the animal was trying not to make too much noise if it alerted predators, but being in pain made it hard to stay quiet.

Foxes were not known around the New York area but it hasn't exactly been unheard of. Alec had never seen one in his whole twenty years until now. He definitely didn't think the first time he'd meet one it would be caught in a trap.

Slowing down, he approached the animal with careful steps, ears pressed to the top of his head to signal that he was no harm to the animal. The fox struggled a few more times against the trap, making Alec flinch at the creaking of bones, before it finally seemed to fall in defeat. It's small body heaved with heavy breaths, it even attempted to hiss at him but had made no move to defend itself and Alec took it as his que to shift.

Seconds later Alec was kneeling next to the hurt animal gently laying a hand on its neck.

"It's alright," he whispered. "I won't hurt you."

Logically he knew that it would be easiest to call the local veterinarian, a friend of the packs, to come help the poor thing but he had no choice but to curse at the world when he realized he didn't have his phone with him. The next best thing would be to get it out of the trap and to help as quickly as possible. Which was dangerous.

The foxes red and orange fur was matted in blood, likely from trying to escape the trap. Usually the traps didn't cause much harm to bigger animals but it was able to break the small foxes leg easily which put the animal in a more critical state.

Acting fast, but as cautiously as he could, Alec began looking for the instructions that he knew were on the contraption. It only took him a few seconds before he was dialing the lever the way it said and the traps jaws snapped open. The sudden movement made the fox screech again, attempting to get up and drag it's injured leg with it. It only got a few steps away before it flopped on the ground, exhausted.

Alec gently scooped the fox up, sighing at the yelp of pain that it let out before beginning to take some of its pain.

Not all wolves could take away another's pain, it was something that was usually inherited in families but even that was rare. If you could take pain, you had to be taught and you needed to know you're own tolerance.

It hurt worse than he was expecting it to, but Alec managed to only grind his teeth together and squeezed his eyes shut as blackness made its way through his veins.

Once Alec felt the fox relax just a little bit in relief he began running through the forest again, still holding the animal as gently as he could. He made it back to his car in only a few minutes time, glad to get the chance to at least but pants on, piling a few spare shirts he had on the passenger seat in order to make the fox even semi comfortable. The fox seemed to understand that he was trying to help and laid still.

_ Then again it could be going into shock. _

With that thought, Alec quickly started up the engine and drove over the speed limit to the local veterinary.

**

After Alec knew that the poor fox was in good hands, that it wasn't going to bleed out to death, he left at his mother's request for a pack meeting. Being a born alpha in the pack meant that he had no choice but to go. So, with a heavy heart and some gentle prodding from Dr. Lewis (the veterinarian) that the fox would be fine he'd walked out of the building. He was convinced it was the last time he'd see the fox.

To his confusion, his wolf was very upset about that.

He supposed that would have been the first sign if he had been paying enough attention.

The next week continued on as it usually would he'd attend college in the mornings, go on weekly runs with Izzy and Jace and attending pack meetings as he was expected to. For the most part he'd forgotten about the fox. Well, except for the constant dreams of running through the woods in his wolf form, chasing the smell of something sweet and flashes of red.

The second time he'd seen the fox was a surprise. There had been a local animal attack that Dr. Lewis had wanted some of the packs insight on. Being an alpha meant that Alec had no choice but to accompany his mother in order to learn more for when he'd begin building his own pack. His mother had a lot of connections and knew a lot of other Alphas, so it was crucial that he'd be able to make strong connections like her.

Upon their arrival Alecs wolf seemed to perk up and he felt like he shouldn't have been so surprised to see the fox lying in one of the dog crates. It's leg was now wrapped and it smelled much healthier than it did when they'd first met. Alec, and his wolf, were happy to know that the fox had been in good hands.

Ever since meeting the fox Alec's wolf had been restless. It constantly paced in the back of his mind and it didn't matter how many runs Alec went on. He seemed to have so much pent up energy and a sudden want to go straight to the veterinarian after his classes. It was exhausting.

As if reading his mind Dr. Lewis gave him a knowing look, "He's recovering faster than I expected he would." He said.

"That's good," Alec answered.

He wasn't quite sure why the veterinarian felt the need to tell him that, but his wolf certainly appreciated it.

The foxes eyes seemed to bore into his own through the door of the fence. It–He was looking at Alec like he could hear every thought, like he knew that Alecs wolf was practically trying to crawl out of his skin.

Being so distracted by the fox meant that Alec had missed half of the conversation between his mother and the veterinarian, only catching the last part about a new potential ally. He'd huffed a little at himself for getting so distracted before turning his full attention to the conversation. His mother seemed to have a weird look in her eyes. Like she knew something he didn't.

That sounded just  _ phenomenal _ .

**

The last thing Alec had expected to happen was Dr. Lewis calling him into the veterinary himself. There were only a handful of times when Lewis had called Alec personally for some help. Most of the time it was because his mother was out of town or she had other matters to attend to or being there was an emergency. So it was rare.

He supposed that Lewis most likely needed him for something important, so he had gone with no questions asked. He had certainly not been expecting this.  _ Should've asked some questions,  _ he thought.

The third time Alec met the fox, he was being asked to look after it.

It was almost summer time which meant that he had the next few weeks off in between semesters and Dr. Lewis seemed to be aware of that because Alec had no reason to say no. Sure he had no experience once or ever in taking care of a fox, he grew up around wolves for pete's sake, but something deep inside him (something that reminded him of his wolf) was urging him to say  _ yes. _

"What makes you think I have what it takes to look after him Doc?" He asked, hands flailing. "I barely know how to look after a cat."

Not that he even had a cat.

The veterinarian seemed to now more than he did. "Well, Mr. Lightwood, taking care of this fox will be easier than taking care of a cat. He's much more laid back."

That made Alec glance back at the crate the fox was currently curled up in. "Please, call me Alec." He responded.

"Well, Alec. The other reason I'd like you to look after the fox is you two actually have a connection already established." The statement brought Alec's attention back to the veterinarian. "When you saved the fox from the bear trap you actually cemented a bond between the two of you. He probably trusts you more than anyone else at the moment."

Alec felt his wolf preen in the back of his head.

"Ugh," Alec sighed. "Fine I'll do it."

Surprisingly, the fox looked as smug as his wolf felt.

That's how he ended up having to explain to his mother why the fox was moving into the small home he was renting out on their property. She didn't seem as surprised as he thought she would be and she didn't mind either. Claiming that she just hoped the fox would make a full recovery.

As soon as Alec had carried the little fox– Magnus, Dr. Lewis said his name was Magnus– into his home it immediately squirmed out of his arms, landing gracefully on its feet before jumping into the black leather couch, curling up and promptly fell asleep. Alec hummed to himself. At least the fox wasn't trying to make his life a living hell from the first moment it stepped foot into his home. Alec was also glad that the foxes leg wasn't bothering him too much.

After Alec was sure the fox would be fine, he went into the kitchen to figure out what the hell he was going to make for dinner. He wasn't even surprised when his wolf wanted to go  _ hunt.  _ It would be a long few days.

Hours later, after Magnus had napped on his couch, ate half of his steak, and spent a good half an hour exploring the place, it was getting close to midnight and Alec found himself yawning where he sat on the couch. It took him about two seconds to decide that 10:55 was late enough to go to bed and he was up and off to his room. Oblivious to the fox trailing behind him.

It only took him a few moments to brush his teeth but he hadn't expected to see Magnus curled up in the middle of his bed when he walked out of the bathroom. He ignored his wolf's preening.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No, that's my bed. Go sleep on the couch or something."

The fox just stared at him for a few seconds before closing his eyes and falling asleep. Alec felt himself flail a bit at the reaction before he was sighing extra loud and dramatic as he accepted his fate for the next few nights. He crawled into the bed, curling his body around the fox before turning off his lamp light and falling asleep.

Alec was very surprised when he woke up the next morning in his wolf form, still curled around the fox. He'd huffed at himself before curling tighter and falling back to sleep.

**

Alec spend the next two weeks sharing his food and his bed with the fox, Magnus. Dr. Lewis was right about their bond, because Magnus had slept curled up on his chest for the past few nights and almost constantly followed Alec around the house.

He was also convinced of the bond because his wolf seemed to absolutely adore Magnus. The first time Alec woke up with the fox asleep on his chest, his wolf had  _ purred.  _ His wolf had never purred as long as Alec had been connected to it. In all honesty, he didn't even know his wolf was capable of purring, it was always brooding. Alec had never been so confused in his life.

Since Alec was assigned with taking take of the fox, that meant that he was also the one to take it to Dr. Lewis when it was time to get his stitches out.

Alec's wolf had whined and whined as the fox flinched from the weird feeling and when it squirmed from it's shots. His wolf only stopped whining when Alec was able to step closer, gently petting behind the foxes ears. When Magnus leaned into the touch, the purring began again and it was even louder.

After that appointment the fox was more energetic, he liked to nip at Alec's ankles, roll around on the floor and lay across his shoulders instead of the couch. He wasn't limping anymore which made Alec's wolf pace less, and he practically wolfed down all of his meals. Alec was just happy to see the fox in better spirits. 

The hardest part of Magnus' recovery was trying to get the fox reacquainted with the preserve. 

The first time Alec managed to get the fox to leave the house without Alec carrying him, the fox had just sat on the porch watching Alec with bored eyes as he tried to urge the fox off the porch. He gave up after about five minutes, deciding that he probably looked like an idiot and bought a litter box temporarily.

It was a slow process after that, it took several days and a lot of bribery before the fox took his first steps on the ground outside. It was very tentative, sniffing the ground over and over before it took another step, like he was weary of another trap hiding under the leaves. Alec had spent several minutes trying to explain that there were no more traps, that the pack had gone and cleaned up all of them. Eventually the fox had trusted him and happily pranced around the yard.

After that Dr. Lewis suggested that Alec should introduce the fox to the pack, so that it was comfortable with people other than Alec. So at the next pack meeting that's what Alec did.

He didn't know how to feel about the pack not even taking a second glance at the fox curled in his arms, it's head pressed to his chest. He had assumed that maybe his mother had explained the situation to everyone, but had expected some weird looks and some teasing. He held the fox throughout the whole meeting, his wolf purring in the back of his head again.

Eventually, Magnus allowed him to step closer to the others. He was already a little comfortable with Alec's mom and let her scratch behind his ears with no complaints. Izzy seemed to be the one he warmed up to the fastest after her, Jace made him hiss, Max also was allowed a few pats, and Clarys red hair was heavily sniffed at.

Soon the fox was curled on the sofa between Clary and Izzy, who were cooing at him, receiving lots of scratched behind the ears and belly rubs. Alec had to ignore his wolf's annoying jealousy.

Jace met him in the kitchen, nudging his shoulder playfully. "So, you seem quite close to that little fox," He teased.

Alec hadn't been surprised that Jace would be the first to start teasing and couldn't stop his eye roll even if he tried. "Well," he responded. "That's kinda what happens when you're forced to take care of an animal."

"Okay," Jace replied, unconvinced. "On a different note then...I think I'm in love with Clary."

Alec snorted, "Please tell me something I don't know."

Jace gasped, "What? I've only known for a few days myself." He argued.

"Yeah, well I've known since the moment she officially joined the pack. You reek of love and lust when you look at her. Honestly, your chemo signals go haywire around her." It was Alec's turn to tease.

Jace unsuccessfully tried to hide his blush, "Whatever."

Alec couldn't help but laugh, slapping his brother on the shoulder. "Well I've got some news too."

Jace definitely perked up at that, "What? Really?" He asked eagerly, happy that Alec was coming to him for something.

"Yeah," Alec said. "My wolf is totally in love with that fox."

Jace choked on his breath, stuttering at the surprise of the response. "Im-" he coughed. "I'm sorry, what?"

Alec chuckled, leaning his elbows on the counter, watching the fox in the other room trot into the kitchen. "Yep," He sighed when his wolf perked up at the sight of Magnus.

Jace breathed out a laugh, "Does your wolf realise that's  _ just _ a fox?"

"Nope," Alec hummed.

He decided not to mention his wolf's excessive purring when he picked up the fox and allowed it to curl up in his arms again.

**

Alec had known for awhile now that he was hitting the age where his mother was expecting him to begin building his own pack. In fact, he'd already discussed it with Izzy, she had known since she was little apparently that she wanted to be apart of his pack. Jace had practically begged to be in his pack and now Clary came with Jace, and Simon with Clary.

So, by the time his mother was ready to talk to him about it, Alec had already begun making his pack. He just didn't really know it.

He definitely wasn't surprised when his mother called him out for a lunch meeting in town, just the two of them.

Leaving Magnus at the house alone had taken more effort on Alec's part than he thought it would, the fox had simply scented him before falling asleep on the couch. Alec had to mentally fight his wolf, who was very mad at him for leaving, and explain that the fox would be perfectly fine alone for a little while. Plus, he had the pack right down the road if needed. His wolf grumbled through the whole trip.

He met his mother in a little cafe just outside of the Preserve, somewhere that the pack was well known and welcomed by the owners.

"Hello mother," Alec greeted his mother, tilting his head to the side, exposing his neck, before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Maryse smiled, cupping his cheek when he sat down. "Alec, sweetheart, you know you don't have to submit to me anymore you're an alpha too. How are you?"

"Yeah, well. I'm still a part of your pack, and I'm doing good mom, how are you?" He asked.

They spoke for awhile, discussing some of the pack politics happening in the area. Valentine had apparently hit the Trueblood pack, and while his mother was no longer a part of their pack she couldn't help but be worried for them.

Maryse had grown up in the Trueblood pack, she was also a born alpha. Her father had always expected her to take their last name and continue the packs legacy. But they were not happy when she'd met Robert, who was a lone wolf and fell in love with him. He'd practically begged to be in the pack, told them he would do anything for them but they refused.

Her father had deeply disapproved of their relationship, hated when they'd gotten married and when Maryse decided to take the Lightwood name. It was rare for an alpha to take another's last name, but it happens.

While she wasn't necessarily welcome into the pack anymore, she still cared deeply for them. They were still family.

Alec was honoured to have her as his mother and his alpha. He'd learned a lot from her, he hoped one day he could be as great of an alpha as she was.

"Mom," Alec sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

Maryse smiled softly at him, patting his hand. "Of course, Alec. You know you can talk to me about anything."

Alec took a deep breath, "How do you know when you're ready to start your own pack? Where do you even begin?" He asked.

Maryse sipped her tea, the reassuring smile never leaving her face and making him feel a little better without even saying anything.

"Honestly," she began. "I don't think there's ever a moment when you know if you're ready. You can want it a lot even, but whether or not you feel ready might always stay a mystery. When your father asked me to marry him and become the Lightwood alpha I had no idea if I was ready to lead a pack."

Her voice was soft, and his wolf relaxed instantly.

"I wanted to, of course. I thought it was an honor that Robert was asking me to rebuild the Lightwood name. I don't think I was ever ready to do it though, I think I just one day decided that I was going to do it. I was going to bring together a group of people, whether they were family or not, and I would welcome them with open arms." Maryse explained. "I would give them a home and a  _ pack.  _ I would give them a family. So I did."

Alec couldn't help but smile. "So, it's okay that I don't feel 100% ready?"

"Yes, Alec." She laughed, "It's okay. You decide when you want to do it, even if you never feel ready enough."

Alec took a few sips of his coffee, thinking about the weight that had been lifted off of his shoulders by his mother's words.

"Mom?"

"Yes Alec?"

Alec looked at his mother, his wonderful amazing alpha and smiled. "I think I want to start building my own pack."

The smile on Maryse's face was bright and proud.

They sat and talked for a little while longer before Maryse got a call from Dr. Lewis regarding some of the tests that he'd run on Magnus. The two of them hugged, said their goodbyes and his mother left to go the vet.

Alec couldn't stop smiling on his way back to the house.

When he'd arrived, everything looked to be in check. He'd received a few updates from Izzy saying that Magnus had been doing just fine at the house by himself, no alarms had been set off and Alec's wolf had practically sighed in relief at the reassurance. The front door was still locked when he arrived back home.

Walking into the house, Alec felt his own body relax at the quickly becoming familiar scent of fox and wolf. Said fox was currently lounging on the back of Alec's couch, looking as bored as could be. Alec's wolf was about ready to crawl out of his skin again, though. Ready to play and bond more with the small creature.

Upon noticing his arrival, Magnus' head suddenly perked up his left ear twitching before he let out a little yip in greeting. Alec had to admit, it was kinda cute.

"Hey there, foxy." Alec reached down to scratch behind the foxes ears.

The foxes response to the nickname was to squint at Alec, his ears pressed to his head. It made him wonder if the fox knew what he was saying.

The fox clearly had some pent up energy from being inside all day, so Alec decided that now would be a good time to go for a little run together in the woods. When he announced the idea out loud, the fox jumped off the back of the couch, took a second to stretch a few times before trotting over to the front door. Alec chuckled, fully understanding the answer. He walked over, opened the door and shifted into his wolf form. 

Almost instantly his wolf wanted to run to the fox and Alec had to remind himself that Magnus wasn't a were and probably wouldn't appreciate being scented by a wolf.

The two of them made their way down the porch steps and Magnus was off in a red blur not even two seconds after their paws touched the ground. Alec huffed to himself before running after the small creature.

They returned only an hour or two later, Alec shifting as soon as he walked through the door. The fox went straight back to the couch and flopped onto it.

Alec went back to his room to put on some sweats and a t-shirt, then he went back into the living room, plopped onto the couch next to fox and didn't even flinch when the animal curled on to his chest. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as his wolf's purring.

It was just under twenty minutes later when his phone rang, his mother's ID on the front screen. He didn't hesitate to answer.

"Hello?"

_ "Alec! We have some news about our little fox friend. Dr. Lewis would like it if you could bring him to the building as soon as possible." _

"Oh, is everything okay?" He glanced down at the fox resting on his chest, trying to ignore the worry building there.

_ "Yes, everything is perfect. Just, some of the test results came back and Dr. Lewis would like to see Magnus." _

Alec let out a relieved breath. "Okay, I'll be there in a few."

_ "Great! We'll see you soon." _

Alec sighed as his mother hung up the phone, looking down at the fox as he rubbed it's head. "Guess we're going for a car ride."

Magnus clearly was not in the mood to move, so Alec ended up carrying him to the car. He placed the animal on the blanket that was in his passenger seat. The drive to the vet building was short but it was just enough time for Alec's worries to start building up. What if the fox was sick? What if he needed to be put down? Alec knew his mother said that everything was fine but his wolf was just as worried as he was.

When they'd arrived, Alec took a few extra seconds to just breath. When he'd gotten his shit back together, Alec gently picked the fox back up, didn't fight the little smile that tugged on his lips when the fox tucked it's head into his neck and entered the building.

"Mr. Lightwood, it's great to see you!" Dr. Lewis greeted him first, shaking his free hand.

Alec forced a smile through his worry, "You too Doc."

The doctor seemed to sense his worry, beginning to explain after signaling for Alec to place Magnus on his table and to sit down on one of the chairs next to his mother.

"So!" Dr. Lewis sat down in his chair, opening a file with Magnus' name on it. "Let's get started."

**

+1:

Alec felt like a fish. His mouth was wide open, gasping for air, as he tried to process all of the things that's Dr. Lewis and his mother had just explained to him. He glanced over to the fox– no, no  _ werefox–  _ still sitting quietly on the table, looking as innocent as can be.

"So," Alec swallowed, looking back at the veterinarian. "So, what you're saying is that, Magnus isn't just a fox but a werefox that doesn't remember how to shift?"

He even sounded confused.

The doctor had the audacity to laugh at him. "Yes, basically. Magnus has been in his fox form for, what I believe, many years. The last time he was seen as a human was when he was about sixteen according to the missing reports. That's seven years as a fox. I think eventually he just got used to being in his animal form he just simply forgot how to turn back into his human form."

Dr. Lewis pointed to a paragraph in one of the books laid out in front of him. "I will help him shift back using this, but only if he's willing to."

"I didn't even know werefoxes where a thing?" Alec expressed.

"Well, they're a very rare form of shifters. I've only met one family that were foxes, but I've heard of a few others. It's not unheard of that's for sure." His mother explained.

Alec could only nod, frowning as his mind continued to work through the information.

"I think," Alec stood. "I think I need to step outside."

His mother didn't look surprised at all and the veterinarian almost looked amused. For a mundane he sure did have some guts.

Alec walked out the front door, leaning heavily against the wall next to it. He took a few deep breaths to calm his mind and help him ignore how his wolf was both literally jumping for joy and feeling smug at the same time. If he really thought about it, it made a lot of sense.

His wolf wasn't stupid, definitely not gullible and most certainly knew the difference between an animal and a shifter. So, Alec was trying to figure out how he had managed to so thoroughly convince himself that Magnus was just a fox. It made sense that he was a shifter, he certainly acted human a lot. Apparently he'd just thought from the beginning that Magnus was a fox, and had continued to ignore every sign that was saying he wasn't.

_ Oh man, would Jace get a crack out of this. _

Alec spent a few more minutes outside before finally gathering all of his strength to walk back into the building.

He definitely had not been expecting to walk back into the room with a very beautiful, very naked man standing in the middle of it.

Alec quickly did the math and figured out that it was definitely Magnus standing on two sort of wobbly legs and his brain just went dead for a moment.

Magnus was absolutely breathtaking.

He had dark hair, Raven black but with what looked to be highlights of red towards the front. Clearly of asian decent, his eyes were almond shaped and, surprisingly, looked lined in something like eyeliner but it was smudged and looked like it needed to be redone pretty badly. His nose made Alec want to lean forward and nuzzle his own against it (which just had to be his wolf making itself known, because what?) and pretty pink lips. He had golden tan skin, with broad shoulders and a very narrow and small waste. Alec had to force himself from letting his eyes wander down further, if only not to be inappropriate.

But from what he could tell, the man had very nice legs. Very nice...everything.

In a manner that reminded Alec a lot of the fox he'd been living with over the past month or so, Magnus seemed to perk up at his arrival.

The werefox bit his lip and looked up at Alec with wide golden green eyes. "Hi."

Shit, even his voice was beautiful.

It took Alec way too long to remember how to respond. "Uh, hey." His voice came out very soft and breathy.

Jesus, Magnus had already managed to break him. One word was all it took apparently. But then again, Alec had never seen a man as gorgeous as Magnus. And Alec was very gay.

The sound of his mother snickering broke him out of whatever weird thing he was going through. He was probably letting off some very interesting chemo signals and pheromones. He was glad he'd came out years ago, or else that could have been awkward. The thought of his mother knowing how attracted he was to Magnus already just by smell was very embarrassing.

Alec had failed to notice that Dr. Lewis had gone into another room to get Magnus some clothes, and Alec was both relieved and disappointed when the werefox put on the shirt and shorts. He was just very confused. His wolf on the other hand...purring.

"So, Magnus." The doctor sat back down on his stool, motioning for the fox to sit down too. "Would you like to explain to us your story?"

Magnus sat down tentatively onto the open chair, his eyes glancing over towards Alec a few times.

He cleared his throat, "Um, well." He began quietly. "It's a long story."

The doctor nodded understandingly. "That's okay, we have time. And, please remember you don't have to tell us anything you're not comfortable with."

Magnus nodded, shifting in his chair a bit. "Well, the last thing I remember was my step father, um." He paused, seeming to collect himself and Alec wanted nothing more than to hug him.

"My mother was also a werefox, it's where I got the gene from. She was an amazing woman, taught me everything I know about shifting. She died when I was younger, my step father hadn't taken it very well and ended up leaving."

Magnus sighed, "I think I turned because of the distress of losing my parents."

Dr. Lewis seemed to understand what Magnus was getting at. "So, you just decided to live as a fox?"

The were shook his head, "Actually no." He answered. "I wanted to shift back, but I had no home and no family. I wanted to search for something to call my own and just never thought to shift back. I–I didn't know it had been so long."

Maryse leaned a little closer to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Magnus. You have a lot to get used to and comfortable with. We'll talk more about it later."

Magnus looked grateful and Alec was once again glad to have such an amazing mother and alpha.

They decided to spend the next few hours telling Magnus about some of the things that had happened in the few years he'd been stuck. They discussed the traps in the area, why they were set but managed to steer clear of too much information about the circle. They talked about the pack, how their dynamics worked, and a question suddenly arose in Alec.

"Wait," he frowned in confusion. "If Magnus was a were this whole time, how come we weren't able to scent it?"

Dr. Lewis just shrugged, "I would assume it's because he'd been in his fox form for so long that eventually the smell of were was overpowered by fox. I even called an old friend of mine by the name of Deaton and he didn't really any answers for me either. But your mother knew."

That surprised Alec. "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked, looking at his mother.

"Actually," she started. "I wasn't too sure at first. I noticed that something smelt a little off about him and I mentioned it to Lewis here but I didn't think to run blood tests until a few weeks ago."

Dr. Lewis took over. "As soon as the possibility was brought up, I figured it wouldn't be too troubling to find out. Now we're here. An omega werefox."

Alec sputtered and Magnus blushed deeply at the admission. "Wait, an Omega?"

Alec had met only two Omegas in his life. One was Roberts mother, his grandmother, that had passed away when he was younger and another that was part of a pack that had been passing through their land. He'd heard amazing things about them though. They were considered betas in a pack, but they acted almost as pack mother's. They took care of the pack and usually held a scent that helped calm a pack down and comfort them. They weren't necessarily rare, but some considered them precious.

Magnus, now that Alec really thought about it, smelt like omega. Or at least, what Alec remembers it smelling like.

"I didn't know werefoxes could be Omegas?" Maryse asked.

Dr. Lewis hummed, "It's a very rare thing in werefoxes, much more rare than it is for werewolves. But it is still possible."

Some time after that Alec's mother and the veterinarian left the room to get some supplies for Magnus. While they were gone, Alec and Magnus sat in silence.

Alec couldn't really believe his luck. His wolf had gotten attached to a rare breed of werefox. The fox seemed to like him back well enough too. He just couldn't believe that this whole time his wolf had been trying to tell Alec, and he'd just acted like his wolf was dumb. It made him feel a little bad. His wolf on the other hand was so smug about it that he didn't stay guilty about it for long.

"This is gonna sound really weird–"

Magnus' voice made him jump a bit. He'd been thinking very hard.

"But," Magnus sighed, like he was gathering courage. "Can I hug you?"

That...was not what Alec was expecting.

Magnus seemed to take his silence the wrong way. "I'm sorry, I knew that would make things weird. It's just my fox is so comfortable with you and you're heartbeat seems to be what calms him down the most, but it's okay ill–"

Alec couldn't help but chuckle at the cute rambling. "Magnus," he cut him off. "It's fine. Of course you can have a hug."

Alec had realised that the fox had probably gone a long time without affection. It would definitely explain why the fox seemed so love to curl up on top of him and next to him. Alec honestly had no idea what he'd do without the physical affection of his pack and he was willing to give that same attention to the fox.

Magnus deflated in relief and soon Alec had his arms full of werefox. Magnus' ear was pressed right over his heart and Alec practically had to will it to slow down and stay steady. He couldn't stop it from skipping a beat though. Magnus smelt amazing. Like pack, like home and mate.

_ Wait what? _

Werewolves were not destined to be with another like some seemed to think the concept of mates worked. It was actually a lot simpler than that. Yes, there was such a thing as soulmates, but they didn't necessarily have to be lovers. Mates where possible in every pair of were you'd meet. It was your wolf that determined if the person you were interested in was compatible to be your mate.

Alec apparently had missed all of the signs that his wolf was working on seeing if the fox had been compatible. And, apparently, Magnus had passed all of the tests.

Mate bonds could begin through friendship as long as both parties had the same feelings and if Alec searched hard enough he could feel the soft and fragile bond between them. It wasn't as prominent as all of his pack bonds but it was there, humming quietly. It was nice knowing that Magnus' fox was on the same page as his wolf. It gave Alec hope.

Most packs didn't support the idea of a gay alpha, but it was slowly becoming accepted in the world. He was lucky to have such an accepting pack. Alec had thought for the longest time that he would never get the chance to have a real family. Yes, he'd have his pack, which was something he'd always wanted, but he'd secretly always wanted children and a mate. It just never seemed like it would happen.

Now though, Alec was filled with hope.

Magnus nuzzled into his chest a little more, Alec's wolf preened, and he tightened his arms around the foxes shoulders.

"Speaking of weird questions," Alec pressed his nose to Magnus' hairline.

He felt the werefox smile against his chest, humming softly in response. "What?"

Alec took a deep breath, ready to show his more vulnerable side to the fox, and asked, "You think you'd want to go on a date with me sometime? Our fox and wolf seem to be a few steps ahead of us."

Magnus giggled and Alec's heart swooned at the sound. The fox lifted his head, looking up at him, answering his own question. "You feel it too?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded. "I feel it too."

Magnus' smile was beautiful, Alec's wolf swooned loudly in the back of his head.

"Y'know," Magnus bit his bottom lip, looking at him with curious eyes. "My mother always told me that foxes and wolves don't get along very well."

Alec breathed out a laugh, feeling absolutely elated. "I guess we're gonna have to prove her wrong then."

Magnus' happy smile was definitely going to be worth the challenge.


End file.
